


First Kill

by MarahSoore



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Mystery, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-27
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-04-01 12:52:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4020514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarahSoore/pseuds/MarahSoore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Going to Hamlet Georgia isn't Lynn's idea of 'getting away' after her mother's death. And between her wifi addicted brother and her glory days reliving Father, Lynn's only rock is the strange boy next door, Jonathan Crane. A local girl is found dead and Jonathan and Lynn go on the hunt for the killer. Can Lynn keep Jonathan sane? Or will he start his path to becoming Scarecrow?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

First Kill

Chapter 1

I lost count of the number of churches that were passing by. It felt like every mile I would see a little white church, or a church made out of six or seven buildings. How could there be that many churches in this small of an area? But the answer was already in front of me. I was in the south.

Georgia to be exact. A state that for most of my life was reserved to thoughts of southern belles flouncing about a plantation. The modern idea of Georgia wasn't a good one. I imagined small towns who try to hold onto their honor by painting their houses with cheap paint or better yet, by putting stupid garden statues in their brown grass lawns.

My twin brother Logan was absorbed in his phone. He was pounding the screen trying to keep up with the gossip in Gotham. Him and I look a lot alike. He has bright red hair that's cut short, looking very puckish. We also have grey eyes, which by the way is a bitch if you want to know what's going to look good on your eyes, get with the program Almay, you give blue, brown, green, and 'hazel' eyes color palette, where's the love for grey eyes?.

Dad on the other hand was keeping quiet. I wondered how he was holding up. This was his crazy idea. But that doesn't mean I should be angry. The man is going through something that I hope I'll never have to go through.

See, Mom died two weeks ago on friday. She didn't get gunned down in some mugging gone wrong. Hell she wasn't even run over by a car. My mom had a brain aneurysm and didn't wake up one morning. Logan and I were pulled out of school to bury her. You don't know what it's like to lose a parent. Or maybe you do. And if you do and you've had a good relationship then you know the pain you feel. After two weeks it's become a sinking feeling. Sure we're on vacation, but when I get home Mom's still not going to be there. I've been told it's best to take it one day at a time. I guess that'll work for now.

"Lynn, what's the next part of Betty's directions?" My dad says. Since we got across the mason-dixon line my father's accent has been sliding every other sentence till suddenly after we passed North Carolina he was in full lilting sound. Logan was passing me looks over the glow of his phone.

I pulled out the computer paper that somehow through this trip ended with a chocolate stain on it. "Right, so once we get to Hamlet take a left on Flint street, then take a left after the third church on the right."

"She didn't write that." Logan said leaning over. He scanned the paper and flopped back onto his side of the car. "My god, we're doomed. How many churches are there in that town?"

Dad shrugged. "When I lived here it was seven churches. But the city had grown a bit."

Now I could see the city. Okay it's more of a town… no scratch that. It's a village. Everything in this place is run down. As we drive down the main road I see an antiques store that has a closed sign, maybe they're open on the weekends. Then on the opposite side is a fish and tackle store.

"Dad," Logan said looking around. "where's the starbucks?" He was suddenly frantic looking.

"Don't worry." I said smiling. "I bet the rednecks will know."

Dad looked at us through the rear view mirror. "Kids. This was my home town. I want you to not nag about it."

I didn't complain out loud. We'd had a fight a few days ago when he said I was going to be spending my summer in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. Did Dad care? Nope. He was so excited that his old friends wanted to see him. So instead of his kids getting to stay in Gotham and have lives, Dad is shipping us with him here. I saw it's unfair, but I've had the conversation and have lost.

As we pull onto Flint street I notice there are kids my age. They're all sitting on the back of trucks at a small burger joint. Well it's not Starbucks, but at least the food looks edible. Logan on the other hand started to get his charming smile on.

He moved closer. "Hey Lynn, what do you say we get ourselves a down home fling or two?"

I looked at him scrunching my face. "Are you serious?"

"What? Just think, we'll walk into school in August and be asked. 'what did you do this summer' then break out and say. 'Well I had a hot romance with a southern girl who had bright blond hair and wore a bikini with short shorts, just like in all the country videos."

Logan looked at me like he had made the best plan to save his popularity at school. Good for him, but that's a game I didn't want to play, at least not that way.

"When we get settled could I use Betty's phone to call David?"

David, David Sterling. He was the cutest boy in my class. He was rugged and was the kind of guy who would help sick puppies if he had to. I just loved him, only I'm so not his type. See, Logan got the sporty jock look, me I'm sixty percent marshmallow and forty percent pizza flavored Combos, no was I could date a guy like David. I would need to drop my calorie count and start doing push ups to be as physically fit as he is.

"Sure." Dad said taking a left onto this small two lane road. "What's the last instruction?"

Logan snatched the paper form me. "Go past the old Keeny house, we'll be at the dead end."

"Old Keeny house?" I asked.

"Just the neighbors. Not sure who lives there anymore." Dad said.

Again we became quiet as I watched the fields pass us. Corn, soybeans, corn again, some large leafy plant that I guessed was tobacco. I didn't know they still grew tobacco down here? But smokers need their fix somehow.

Just as I'm about to lose hope I see it. A white beam that looks like it's going to pierce the sky. A church out here? I look closer and can see a whole compound through the tall corn that blocks my view.

"Is that the Keeny house?"

"Yeah," Dad said. "It's more like an estate. That families been on that property since before the founding of the U.S, cool right?"

"Same family lives there?'

"Yep. Though if you can help it, don't go over there. I think Martha is still alive and that woman is mean. She gives the south a bad name I'll tell you what."

Logan shot me a look. Yep, we lost our dad to his accent. The only cure would be good smoggy air from Gotham, and that was a few months away.

I look back outside and see a scarecrow hoisted above the tall grass. He looked like a sad fellow, his red flannel shirt had hay poking out of it and the large straw hat had holes from neglect. Looking at the lone figure I didn't notice we were slowing down.

"This is it! Home sweet home."

I looked at the white farm house. It was a snap shot of an old 50's commercial or something equally as white bread america. The house had three stories to it. The shutters to the house were painted a glossy black. There was tin on half of the roof and I could see lacy curtains in the window.

Logan picked his phone up as I saw our Aunt bustle out of the house. Aunt Betty, I'd only had half understood phone calls, and pictures of her when she was my age to go off of. She was a plump lady with blond hair that she had perfectly placed, like in a commercial. She was dressed in a t-shirt and mommy jeans that were stuffed in cowboy boots.

I looked at Logan as the two of us stepped out of the car. As soon as I did I let out a groan. Last stop we took was when we entered Georgia, over two hours ago. I stretched as Dad gave Betty a platonic hug.

"Oh my goodness." she said. Her accent hung so heavy that I thought her voice was made out of glue. "You must be Lynn. Are you growing up to be a big girl!" She said rushing up to me.

I prepared myself for her hug, and sadly I didn't prepare enough. The woman could hug like a bear! She let me go and I had to take a few deep breaths of air.

Logan didn't have it any better. Betty though looked unfazed as she marched us up to the house. As I walked up I noticed cats running about. Oh god, she isn't a crazy cat lazy? I swallowed my pride as we walked into a house cut from a southern living magazine.

Everything rang of southern charm, that could be good. Maybe I could learn how to bake or something useful this summer.

Logan took one look around the house shrugged and pulled his phone out. He took a moment and looked at me. "I can't get signal?" he muttered.

Betty turned to us. "So Steven you'll be in the guest room. Logan Lynn follow me."

She moved us up a set of stairs and to the second floor. The Southern living feel was upstairs as well. Betty waddled along until she came to a room that screamed boy. It only needed a bb gun on the wall to make it complete.

"Logan you'll be here. It was your father's room when he was a boy. Ain't it just darling?" She said patting him on the back.

Logan was still looking at his phone. "Umm Aunt Betty, what's the name for the Wifi?" He asked.

Betty didn't answer him. "Now you kids will have a ton to do out here. You can go for long walks, head into town, there's a nice burger joint that I used to go to when I was a girl. Also you can help me around the house. Now I clean the house often, everything has it's place. You make a mess you get to clean it up. Ya hear?"

Logan and I nodded. Betty took us to another set of stairs and as I slowly walked up Logan looked at me. "I'm not seeing any Wifi. Hell I'm not seeing any computers."

The attic had been turned into a picture of sweet sixteen fashion. Everything as a soft shade of pink or white. The bed was framed by a large canopy that looked similar to a Pinterest DIY picture. The furniture looked original, but painted in a creamy white. The windows had large window seats that sat in front of large swinging windows.

"Now this was my room when I was a girl. I've redone everything to sure a young womans tastes."

I looked around the room. I could feel the pink attack my system. Oh god, there were even cute baby pictures on the vanity. I looked over at Betty and tried to put on the biggest smile I could. "Thank Aunt Betty. It's wonderful."

Betty nodded like she knew this room was Gods gift to a teen. She moved closer. "Now The roof outside the windows have a lovely view over our farm and Mrs. Keeny's farm. Go on and look."

"Aunt Betty?" Logan said again. "What's your wifi called?"

"Shh Logan, don't you see your sister is going to have a moment here."

I opened the window the warm summer air hitting me again. I slipped through the window and found the roof to be pretty level where I was. Then I looked out. I could see high above the fields now. It took my breath away. The neat little rows of corn and soybeans were a patchwork around the houses. There was a path a tall brown grass that I could see a clearing. In the middle of the clearing was the same Scarecrow. I liked the way he looked standing out there. Maybe I could go investigate that later.

Past the houses I could only see fields and trees. There was so much space here. So unlike Gotham with it's twisting turning roads and dark alley ways.

Starting to sweat I slipped back into the room and closed the window. I looked back at Betty, for her over decorating mind she did care. I gave her a smile. Maybe she knew I needed something like that. A little place to call my own. I mean Dad's parents died a while before I was born so Betty might know what I needed in that moment.

Logan waved his phone up at me. He wanted me to ask Betty. "So Betty, I brought my computer, could I get the Wifi information for it."

Betty blinked her large blue eyes. "Well dear, I don't have wifi here."

I could see Logan pail. "No wifi?" He stammered.

"Nope. Don't see the reason for it. We have cable, that's all the information you need. Fox news and the local news. Why kids?"

Logan looked at me. "No cell signal and no wifi."

Betty looked a little confused. "This was a time for you kids to get away from all that technology. Not good for you. You get to learn how to fish, mudding, and hell I'll be teaching your sister how to bake."

Now we knew Betty's true purpose to get us out here. She wanted to turn us Gotham kids into nice law abiding southern kids. All I have to say to that is, good luck.

We unpacked the car. Logan was in a sour mood for the rest of the day. And once I got everything unpacked I opened up the window and crawled out onto the roof. It was starting to be night time and the heat was dying away. I pulled out a book I was reading. Well not really what I was reading, but what Mom had been reading.

I looked at the cover. it was worn from many readings. Mom's favorite book. She said she could open to this book up and read it. I thought it was sweet and had brought it along. I'm not much for classics, but I could always try giving this a good read.

'Phantom of the Opera'

I mean I've seen the movie, and mom always had the stupid music playing. So I should be able to get the jist of the story even if I get bored halfway through.

So that's how I spent my first night in Hamlet Georgia.

Author's Notes: Hey everyone. So I posted this story on Fanfiction.net but after meeting up with a lot of my friends I discovered that the majority of them had a loving passion for AO3, so I joined up and here I am. This is the first fanfic I have had the guts to post in five years. I'm always writing, but showing people my work has ended poorly for me in the past. I'm currently working on the sequel to this story, so once that ones pretty much complete I'll post it as well.

Until later my friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Batman or any DC characters.

Chapter 2

Logan slept in the next day. I on the other hand couldn't sleep. I think it was all the stuffed animals looking down at me. I mean, I don't mind fluffy bunnies and teddy bears, but the ones Aunt Betty had creeped me out. They had those creepy dead doll eyes that you see in horror movies. So at six I rolled out of bed.

I had spent my morning downstairs trying to figure out the channels on the TV. Betty had lied about the Cable. She had basic TV, but that was about it. And I didn't feel like watching the news. By noon I was bored. I could read more of mom's book, but I really wanted to savor it while I was on this trip. So when Betty said she was going to bake bread I agreed to help her.

The kitchen was a mess, flour was splattered on the ground and there was a smell of fresh bread in the air. My mom made cookies, the standard chocolate chip variety that every mother knows how to make. Betty on the other hand knew how to bake bread and man did she have her rules.

Don't touch the dough too much. Follow the instructions exactly. Don't microwave the water, use room temperature eggs. So many rules. Mom was the kind to take a cake mix and just add whatever. So when the my loaf was resting I was told that I could use the phone to call my friends.

I raced upstairs with the phone in hand. I threw myself on the large pink bed my fingers flying over the buttons.

The first person I called was Kate. Kate Miller had been my friend since we were kindergarteners and had matched our choice of hairstyle, pigtails with large scrunchies. I know, not really original, but sometimes that's how friendships are born.

The phone rang for a long minute then Kate's Mom picked up. "Miller's." She said in a clear tone.

"Hi Miss Miller, It's Lynn."

"Lynn? Aren't you on vacation?"

"Yeah Georgia, could I talk to Kate?" I asked.

There was a bit of chatter in the background then Kate picked the phone up. "Lynn?"

"Hey!"

I could hear Kate climb the stairs in her house. She was probably going to her bedroom. "How's it going? Have you seen any rednecks yet?"

"Hundreds. There's no net out here."

There was a long pause. "What about Wifi?"

"Nope."

Again there was a pause. I know for my generation it sounded impossible, how could there be a place without Wifi, but I just kept my lips shut.

"How are you going to live? How are you going to know about the gossip?" she said her voice getting louder on the phone.

"I was hoping you could keep me up to date."

"Oh god, oh god oh god. You don't know then."

"What? I've only been gone two days and something happened?" I sat up on my bed.

"Oh yeah. David, you know Mr. Wilderness."

"Yeah?"

"He told me to tell you to give him a call. He didn't know your number."

"I don't know his number." I said bewildered. David Sterling was asking for me! All Sophomore year he would be near me, his friends would talk to my friends, but that degree of separation was always like the Great Wall of China between us.

"Well that's because he gave it to me to give to you."

I was really not liking this long distance no internet thing. Already I had to go through friends to get his phone number, maybe if I had internet it would be different, but I didn't have it so I would have to do this the old 1990's way. "Did he say anything about me? Like anything?"

There was a long pause. "Nope, I mean, he did say he was hoping you were doing alright and that you should call him. Other than that. Nothing."

I nodded. The rest of the conversation was upkeep of what was happening in Gotham. Nothing that I really cared to remember, it was too far away to care about who was dating who.

When I ended the call from Kate I looked at the number she gave me. Should I call David now or wait? If I waited would he think I wasn't interested? God, I hated having to choose.

I sucked in a big gulp of air and dialed. I listened as the phone rang, and rang, and rang some more. I wondered what I was going to say. Should I play it cool? Or maybe be in a weepy phase. I mean I didn't have any tears, but I could pull out some in no time flat.

Then his voicemail popped up. It wasn't even his voice, it was the computerized voice telling me to leave a message at the beep.

"Uuuuu." I said sounding like a dumb elephant. "Hi, David? Uuum It's Lynn. My number is." I rattled off Betty's number. "I hope you call. Bye."

I pushed the end button and groaned. What the hell was that? Uuuuu hi? Fuck, I sounded like some stupid Middle schooler with a crush. I fell onto my bed and buried my red face into the pillows.

Then I heard a knock at the door. "Sweety pie?" Betty called.

She walked in and looked at me. "What happened?"

"I just called this guy." I said pulling myself up. "I sounded like such a doofus on the phone. On his voicemail. He can re listen to me sounding like a doofus!"

I threw myself back down onto my pillows. I wished I was telling this to Mom. Mom would slide in next to me and rub my back saying I would be alright or some other mom thing that would make me feel better. She would tell me how my little mess up would be forgotten or be used as a cute story when I'm older and when David and I were giving out wedding toasts.

But Betty was not my mother.

"Well in church I was told recently that girls should not be chasing after boys like you are. This David must know you're going after him and chose not to pick up. Keep your distance and he'll come around."

The fuck? Betty looked so pleased with her advice that she nodded and brushed out of the room and soon as she had come in. I picked my sorry ass off of the bed and marched down the stairs and past Betty to go outside.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"For a walk!" I said loudly.

I could see Logan poke his head out of his room, his eyes looking at me. I glared at him making him slink back into his room.

I threw the front door open. Dad was walking out of the garage looking pleased with himself. He took one look at me and frowned.

"Lynn, what's wrong?"

"Going for a walk." I said a little more politely to him than Betty. I mean Betty didn't understand. Dad at least was going through the same shit I was, kinda, minus the boy problems.

My goal wasn't the road. No I was heading straight to the tall grass. I needed to be away from everyone and from my window I remembered the scarecrow. The lone figure who looked so alone in the tall grass. I needed to talk to someone, someone who wouldn't care what I said, someone who couldn't speak. That scarecrow fit the bill perfectly.

The grass was thick and it was hard to get through it. I took my anger out on the fibrous stalks as I pushed to a large circle that had been made. The scarecrow was standing above me with a ratty tunic and pants. A moth eaten hat sat on his burlap head bit of straw stuck out here and there. He was an ominous looking figure who looked down at me with a blank face. This wasn't a scarecrow Aunt Betty made. If it had been it would have a huge smiley face and maybe some flowers. No This was a real scarecrow that had a purpose of keeping crows away.

I paced in front of him glaring at the figure like he was the source of all my problems. And hell to me might as well have been.

"I hate this place." I said finally. "Dad think's it's okay that he took Logan and mn away from Gotham for the summer. He never asked if I had plans. If I wanted to grieve with my friends? NO!" I said planting my feet in front of him. "He wants to relive his glory days here in fucking Hicksville!"

I kicked a clot of dirt. The dry tuff only moved a few inches, but the small cloud of dust was satisfying. "You know what. I've never seen so many churches in one place. Is it just me or does the south forget to learn science in the place of god? Most of them don't even read the bible. If they did they would know that they were being hypocrites."

I stood next to the scarecrow and leaned next to him. "Aunt Betty is the worst. Okay I know the woman has her hobbies, but her house is like a model home. I haven't seen an ounce of clutter while being there. Even her cooking is clean. And her telling me not to chase after boys? I don't see her with a boyfriend. I bet she's some spinster who's still a virgin. That's not going to be me. There is a sexual revolution out there. I don't have to be that pretty little flower that her generation was."

"I bet everyone else in town is going to be the same way. They're all like." I switched to the thickest most annoying idea of a southern accent and started. "Well hey there Billy Jay Bob! How's the tabaca comen? I know that Pastor Gibbs was talken about how we should be smitten the wicked and all that. Lets go Bowlen and find some sinners to smite."

I didn't hear the grass shift behind me. If I had I might have stopped. But I was on a role and thought I was very much alone.

"Well gee Mary Sue. I can't wait till my sister and your cousin get married. It's going to be like another family reunion. I just love them weddings. Though we can't have Bobby come, I hear he's gone from the path of god and has chosen to be gay. I already said he can come back once he's accepted the good lord back into his heart and dumped his devil of a boyfriend."

I turned from the scarecrow and saw him. As soon as I saw him I felt my whole body heat up. How much had he heard?

The boy in front of me was a boy already past the six foot marker, six feet and as thin as a wire. There was much about him that could be described with the word, a wire. His arms and legs were long and thin, like Jack skellington. His face was strangely feminine with large wire rimmed glasses. He was wearing clothing that were a few sizes too big. His brown hair looked like it needed a proper trim, but the shagginess looked good on his angular face.

"Oh god…" I said jumping.

He was looking at me then to the scarecrow. "Are you having a moment?" His voice wasn't what I expected. Maybe I thought he would have a down home country voice like Betty, but no, he sounded like he was from the north.

"N-no." I muttered backing away from the scarecrow. Now I felt foolish. Here I was ranting in shorts, shorts that showed way too much of my thick thighs. But what I was I saying. I didn't even know the guy.

He looked at me with this expression that I was confused about. "You're new here." He said.

"Yeah. I'm just here for the summer."

He nodded. "Miss Coleman's family?"

"Niece." I corrected. "I'm Lynn."

"Jonathan. I live next door."

"The Keeny's?" I asked.

He nodded. "My last name is Crane. I live with my great grandmother."

"So, what are you doing out here?"

He shrugged. "I wanted somewhere quiet to read."

Now I noticed he had a book in his hand. I glanced at the cover, impressive. 'Sleepy Hollow'. I looked up at Jonathan and smile. "Good book."

He looked down at it then back at me. "First time reading it."

Then we stood there unable to talk anymore. I mean I could have spoken, but I didn't know what to talk to him about. He seemed like he needed space and honestly I was done with my rant.

"I should go." I said turning back to Betty's.

Just as I reached the grass he spoke. "We aren't all like that."

I looked back at him. "Like what?"

"Bible thumping, low IQ, and incestious." He said. He then got a glint of mischief in his eyes. "Only ninety-nine percent of us."

"I'll be sure to keep a look out for the one percent. I'll see you around."

 

That night at dinner we ate the bread Betty and I made. I didn't tell anyone about my run in with the boy next door. Logan didn't ask and honestly it was like no one cared I had gone for a walk. So while we ate Dad started to ask how we liked it here.

Logan gave some grumbles as he stuffed his face with bread. When dad looked over at me for my turn I chose this would be the best time to spill.

"I met one of the neighbors."

Betty suddenly gave me her full attention. "Oh you met Miss Keeny did you?"

"No. I met her, um I think great grandson, Jonathan."

Now let me tell you about my father. My Dad thinks that I'm anti social. I don't have many friends and most of them aren't guys. He was the type that wanted his kids to have big social lives, I suspected it came from being the king of Hamlet when he was here. He was always on the look out to get me into more friends groups. And when a guy is mentioned it ends up with this kind of reaction.

"Jonathan. Sounds like a good name." He said.

Betty shifted in her seat like she had something to say about it. But Dad hit the table making a loud banging sound. "You know what? I was thinking that we should take you kids into town tomorrow. Maybe Jon will want to go too. That'll be great, don't you kids think?"

Logan looked over at me. We didn't need to speak. Sure going into town was going to be better than us sitting at the house, but I didn't know Jonathan yet, and from my little bit of meeting him I wasn't that impressed.

"Should we ask his grandma?" Logan said.

"I'll do that after dinner. Betty you have their phone number yes?"

Right after dinner dad had called, the conversation was short and I had a feeling Jonathans grandmother was very short with my dad. But in the end Jon was going to show us around town while Dad visited his friends houses.

 

For it being summer in Georgia I was freezing. Pulling the thick covers around me I shivered under my blanket. The eyes of all of the dolls looking down at me, my demonic dollies watching me as I slept… creepy.

From outside I could hear an owl hooting. Then farther off a crow cawed. That's what sent me sitting straight up in bed. I looked around the room, my eyes not letting me see anything.

Something wasn't right I could feel it. It felt like someone was watching me. I got out of bed and tossed on a robe. Nothing about my room was off. Everything was still in it's cute girly detail.

Another shiver hit me causing me to shake under my robe. I needed something to drink.

Moving through the house my heart started to pound. I tried to tell myself that there was nothing to fear. Sure I was out in the middle of nowhere with a spooky kid who lives next door and an Aunt who's way too into the Lord for her own good. Wait.. that is the making for a horror picture. Fuck.

I got to the kitchen. Everything looked harmless, unless you counted the cookie jar. It was in the shape of a large bug eyed bull dog. I don't know how that's cute, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

Getting myself some water I took a long deep breath steadying myself. Why was I so worried. No one was after me. Hell the only person I met seemed pretty okay, in a misunderstood kinda way. I almost wondered if he had any friends here. He looked like the type that would be picked on at my school. So what would an intellectual outsider do in the south… I could think of two options. Go crazy or die. I didn't like either of those options.

Climbing up to my room I knew there was something wrong from the moment I entered. I could smell honeysuckle from outside, and the hooting from the owl had gotten closer.

My windows both of them on my window seat were open leaving me bare to the night. I knew the windows were closed when I went down stairs. So as soon as I saw them I flipped the lights on blinding myself. Blinking dots away from my eyes I did a search of the room. I started with the obvious place. Under the bed.

This was the place of much fear growing up. There were monsters when I was a kid and now there are dust bunnies… or psycho hillbillies who wanted to steal me away for some dark purpose.

I got on my hands and knees and checked.

Nope. Not even a dust bunny. I got up and made my way to the closet. From outside a crow cawed at me. I jumped looking out the window.

"Very funny." I muttered. I grabbed a stuffed animal from the chair next to my closet. I put the fluffy bear in front of me as I opened the door to the closet. I paused before I looked in. What could there be on the other side? I didn't know, but I could make wild theories.

I threw the door the rest of the way open and saw nothing but a closet filled with hangers. A few boxes above had labels such as 'Thanksgiving linens' or 'Baby shower table cloths'.

I closed the door exhaling. Outside the crow cawed. Now I was getting angry. could those birds stay up all night? I didn't know, but I did know I was going to keep that window closed and wrap my head under my blankets till I passed out.

As I slid into bed looking at the now closed window I had to wonder… who opened it in the first place? My mind settled on Logan sneaking up here to pick on me and thought to give me a scare.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Batman or any of the DC characters. Lynn did spring from my brow but I make no money off of this. This is just a labor or love.

The next morning I was sitting in dad's car as we drove over to Jonathan's house. Well we didn't drive up to the house. Jonathan was standing at the end of the driveway. Other than the different colors of his clothing he still wore clothes that were too big for his thin body.

Logan had his phone in hand as he saw Jon. "That's the guy?"

I nodded.

"Creepy." Logan sang under his breath.

Jonathan slid into the car and gave me a not. "Thank you for inviting me on the trip." He said quietly.

Dad gave him a large smile. "Not a problem Jon, I can call you Jon right?"

"I like Jonathan more."

Dad's smile dimmed. "Right, Jonathan." he put the car in drive and started to drive into town.

Jonathan didn't look back at me for the first part of the trip. But once we were over the railroad tracks he looked back at me. His eyes locked onto mine and he gave me a quick nod.

"So, w-what do you want to see?" He asked

"Please tell us there's a place to get wifi?" Logan said.

Jonathan nodded. I just noticed that he didn't really smile. He nodded but I never saw a smile cross his face. It was sad in a pathetic way. I wanted to reach out and ask him if he had ever gotten a chance to smile.

As we slowly parked in one of the common parking lots. I saw Jonathan was tensing up.

"Okay, at five we'll have dinner at La Tacorita. It's a small tex mex place, Jonathan can show you where it is." Dad said pulling himself from the car.

Then we were alone, with dad's card and no where to go. Logan looked over at Jon. "Okay, spill, where's the Wifi?"

Jon looked down the street. "There's a Starbucks a few blocks away."

Logan grinned and gave Jon a bro hug. "You and me are best friends from now on. Lead me!"

Jon shot me a look. Yes my brother is dependant on internet, and yes he is crazy. In the end it would be best if we left Logan to his computer and did something else on our own.

We started to walk down the street. Everything looked less run down now that I was paying attention. We passed shops that looked to be under construction. Little clothing shops or soap shops were moving in. The town in all honesty was growing. Now it was growing in the way a suburb grew, growing with one of a kind stores that housewives adored, but growth is growth.

Jonathan took us to a large church. I paused. "Ummm, Where's the Starbucks?"

That's when he looked back at me. I think his eyes were smiling. Was that amusment I saw? "It's inside the Church."

Great, so the christians could get their weekly dose of holy scripture and their daily dose of caffeine.

The church was not what I had expected. Since we passed Virginia I thought I got the basic idea of the Southern Baptist church down. Normally they were large brick buildings with a slanted roof with a steeple with a cross at the very top. This church wasn't like that.. or it might have been like that once, but now the 'church' was a multi building creation that reminded me of a private school than a 'church'.

As we walked up to the church I saw a group of kids hanging around outside. As soon as they had seen us Jonathan froze. Oh school politics. I could only guess that Jonathan was not the popular kid in school. The boys with their white t-shirts and trucker hats looked to be the kids not to mess with around here. Of course my dumbass of a brother doesn't see it that way. He threw in his lot with the outcast because of Wifi.

"Hey look at what we have here." Said one boy. His voice was too low for his pubescent form. "Scarecrow has some friends."

Logan stepped up. "Hey, look. Name's Logan Colmen and that's my sister Lynn. We're from Gotham."

That made the rednecks grow quiet. I mean Gotham has a reputation, anyone who lives their either works for the Mob or knows some of the mob. That's not too far from the truth. It's a corrupt place and isn't a place for nice people to live. So when you say you live in Gotham, people respect you. Even if the closest I have come to crime was seeing a little old lady get mugged when I was in third grade. Not everyone worked for the mob, but rednecks don't know that.

The biggest of the group took a step forward. He looked like some dumb ape with a predominant lower jaw. As he moved closer I could smell a mix of Axe and unwashed boy.

"So what are you doing with Scarecrow?" He said looking at Logan.

"My friend Jon here was showing me where to get some Wifi, and a good latte." Logan said putting an arm around Jonathan. For a kid who knows how to play the popularity game Logan was choosing the wrong side here. Anyone with the name of 'Scarecrow' is not someone to hang your hat with.

The big brute looked at me. "And you?"

Fuck. I really didn't want to deal with this. I came here to walk around a stupid town. Maybe find a quiet place to read, instead I have to pick sides on a school war that I don't even deal with.

"We're just visiting."

The kid scoffed and looked at Jon. "Didn't think so. Scarecrow is getting pity from the big city kids."

Jonathan wasn't looking at the bully. I could see rage, rage I have never seen and hope to never feel for myself. But there was one thing I felt. I was angry that these kids chose to embarrass him in front of two strangers. Strangers that could be his friends.

"Ya know. I like hanging with Jon. What do you say Logan?" I said hitting my brother hard in the ribs.

Logan's eyes were wide. Now he got it through his skull that this was a bad idea! "oh no." He muttered. Yeah he could try pleading with me . But I didn't let him win. No. We were going to help Jon, so help me I was tired of seeing kids who were not perfect looking or weren't athletic lose. Okay truth, I was still steamed that David didn't pick up the phone and honestly I wanted some loser to win for once.

Logan's face didn't give anything away. He used the cuff of his sleeve to wipe his sweaty forehead. Then with as many of an inhale he said. "He's cool." he then put an arm around Jonathan, the protective bro hug.

The bully looked at us, so the facts he would know would be that we were Gotham kids, so we've seen some shit. And we're protecting the loser, so we might not be nearly as strong as we look. But we were Gotham kids, even the losers in Gotham had connections to hit men, if the rumors were to be believed.

"Watch it Scarecrow. Just because some new kids took you in doesn't mean you'll survive this school year."

I moved my way between them pulling Logan and Jonathan along behind me. There was a look in Jonathan's eye. I think he was annoyed that we stepped in, hell if he was he could tell us later, right now we had to keep moving.

Inside the Church I got a bit more of the christian vibe. It was the murals on the walls depicting Jesus with lots of small children and animals with the common John 3:16 verse written above it in loopy handwriting. The church was empty except the Starbucks that was giving the entrance the heavenly smell of coffee. Logan bolted to a table and opened his computer.

"Oh my god!"

"We're in a church." I said to Logan. "Watch your mouth."

Logan waved me off. "There's wifi. Lynn get us some drinks I'm going to get on Facebook. Oh facebook!"

I motioned for Jon to join me in line. He still looked upset and didn't speak till we were far away from Logan.

"Why did you do that?" He said quietly.

"I don't like bullies." I said. "And you've been cool so far."

He shook his head. "I'm just the weird kid who lives on the wrong side of the tracks. You heard what they call me."

"So what if you're spindly, guys like you normally turn out cute in college." I froze in my sentence. Yeah I just said the guy could be cute. Hell in Gotham with proper clothing choices he would be one of the popular kids. My school was weird though. The truly popular were the kids with 4.0's and good looks. Logan used to joke that there was a genetic project happening. I on the other hand liked the social hierarchy. It means geeks were thought of as better than the brutes who punted balls around.

Jonathan looked at the menu. "Thank you."

We got to the counter and ordered. With our drinks in hand I walked over to Logan who was glued to the screen.

"Lynn you won't believe what Frank did!" He flipped the screen around and showed me a picture of a kid trying to do a flipping stunt instead falling on his ass. "That stupid idiot."

Jon chucked with our laughter. "So, what's Gotham like?" he finally asked.

Logan pursed his lips thinking. "Well I can get some of my friends online and have them take pictures."

"That would be nice. I've never left the state before."

"But you sound so… northern." Logan said confused.

Jonathan finally smiled. It was a small one, If I hadn't been looking at him I would have missed it. "Unlike everyone here I don't plan on making my life as a welfare check spender. Having the accent of the south means you are inbred and can't be taken seriously, especially if you have liberal thoughts."

Logan smiled. "Well you are now around the cultured." He flipped his screen around. "Who wants to watch Cats do stupid stuff?"

"Cultured?" I said looking at Logan. Logan shot me back his big innocent eyes. Nope, wasn't going to work this time bro. I turned to Jon looking for a point of escape. "Is there anything interesting around here?"

Jonathan had to think about it. "Well there is a park I can show you."

I jumped up. "We'll be around Logan. Have fun talking to everyone."

Logan took a large gulp from his drink. "Yup. See ya."

And we lost him. Jonathan and I left the church and back out into the summer heat. He lead me down a few streets making a point to avoid the kids that were gathered in places. It wasn't just the popular kids he dodged, it was everyone.

We go to the park. It was more a large patch of grass with a swing set. Jon walked over to a picnic table and sat down. I sat across from him looking at him. There we got into a game of waiting to see who would speak first. Jon was a master of the game, even if he didn't know it. He was able to keep his mouth shut long that me. I on the other hand never played waiting games.

"So, I take it you don't like this place so much." I said.

He looked up at me above his glasses. "That would be obvious."

"Well, since we'll be seeing a bit of each other shouldn't we get to know each other?"

Jon folded his hands. "Names Jonathan Crane, Kids here call me scarecrow because of my lanky form. I like books, I love reading history books, but I have a fondness for many of the classics. I live with a witch of a great grandmother who insists she's my grandmother. Life here is hell for anyone with an IQ over 100. If you don't like shooting guns and getting drunk off of cheap booze then you're a freak of nature. I like my space, people have never understood me and I don't expect a girl from Gotham to understand the shit this place puts on you."

I didn't speak at first. Yes he was angry, but I knew I could calm him down. It was one of the few things I knew I was good at doing.

"Well Jonathan. I like books as well. I think drinking is stupid unless it's really good alcohol. Mom always said if you drink, drink to enjoy what you're doing. I also think that idiots are the only ones who are happy living from day to day and not living for the world around us."

Jonathan looked at me blinking. "What's your favorite book?"

I smiled. Hey it was a start, a small lifeline to the boy that was Jonathan Crane. "I like Jekyll and Hyde. The morality play in that book is fascinating. Also it's just a fun read."

He smiled again. I really liked his smile. I doubted if the smile would ever reach his eyes and in a small way I promised myself I would get him to smile by the time summer was out.

"So how old are you?" I asked.

"I'm sixteen."

"Me too. You'll be going into Junior year?"

"Senior year. I skipped a grade." He said leaning back.

"Hence the bit about your IQ." I said quickly.

He nodded. "Is Gotham, the north, is it really different than here?"

"Yes!" I said laughing. "Oh man is it different. Tell me about your world and I'll tell you about mine."

And that's how we truly opened up. He told me about the crazy bible thumping poor as dirty but holier than thou people of the south. I told him about the good, bad, and ugly of Gotham. Sure we had our muggings out in the street and the police had a cancerous growth also known as the mob, but people respected you. You didn't talk to them and they sure as hell didn't talk to you. If they did expect a knife or gun to be pulled.

I lost track of time and Jon and I had gotten into a discussion about popular fiction. My opinion was that even teens needed reading to get them interested in books. Jon had a bit of elitism saying that if they could understand the greats then why bother.

I was about to get into a heated argument when I saw a flash of red and suddenly Jon was on the ground with a girl with the brightest shade of red I had ever seen pull him down into a bear hug.

"Hey Jonny boy!" She said.

The girl was small, maybe breaking five feet. She was also thin. She had a band tee and torn up jeans. Her hair was long and thrown into a messy braid. The way she was hanging onto Jon I had to assume she liked him.

It took him a long moment but Jon was able to push the girl off of him. He rolled up and brushed himself off. "You're such a freak." He muttered.

The girl beamed at him. "Takes one to know one." She then looked over at me. I noticed she gave me the judging once over. "Who's this?"

"Lynn, She's Betty Colmen's niece."

I straightened up. I told myself it was in an attempt to look more pleasant, but really it was to look intimidating. I was almost a foot taller than the girl, so that couldn't be hard, only my ego hadn't caught on to that yet.

The girl thrusted her hand out. "Heather, I see you've kidnaped my best friend."

I shook her hand, she had a strong grip. She looked up at me then back to Jon. "Okay I thought I told you that we couldn't have anymore tall people in our friends group. I feel like a midget!"

"One inch over from getting that scholarship." Jon said his face now brightening. Now I saw it, the smile had reached his eyes. Oh I saw a crush here, he had to really like this girl. I tried to think if it would be wise to stay and let the two of them be awkward or give them their space. "Any way. Lynn's Father invited me into town. I didn't get much of a choice."

Heather leaned closer to me. "He doesn't mean it. He can be grouchy sometimes." she whispered loudly. Jonathan shot her a dark look but she brushed him off. "So what are you guys talking about?"

"Youth fiction." I said.

Heather nodded. "Let me guess, Jon's being elitist?"

Jonathan shot her a sour look. "It's just that people should rise above their reading levels and learn."

"We're in the south Jon! No one want to learn here." She shouted. "Get it through your thick ass skull!"

I really liked Heather. Maybe it was her honesty, no it was her honesty. There was a whole different side to Jonathan coming out and I think I liked it. He was more honest and less high intellect.

Jonathan smiled. "Well someone has to raise the thinking mind of this place."

Heather shook her head and I knew she was going to win. She seemed like a girl who got her way, and Jonathan was just weak willed enough to let her walk all over him. Hence the thought that he really liked her.

Heather stayed glued next to me. "So you're from the north right?"

I nodded, I didn't need to ask how she knew. "Gotham."

"God I always wanted to go to Gotham!"

And that sealed it. Heather stayed glued to Jon and me. With her around Jonathan seemed to let down an invisible barrier that now was open to be crossed.

I had gone to get some lunch with Heather. The burger joint was better than I thought. The food looked edible and I didn't get a sinking feeling that I would end up with food poisoning. It wasn't hard getting the food. The kids hanging around ignored Heather and myself. Probably because Heather had less to fear from the kids at school, maybe because she didn't give them any shit, I didn't know, but I did notice they gave her a wide berth when we walked through the group.

When we got back to the park I thought something was wrong. First I thought I wasn't seeing correctly because Jonathan wasn't anywhere to be found. Heather sat the food down and started eating like nothing was happening.

"Where did Jonathan go?" I asked.

She put her hand up to get my quiet. "You'll only make him think this was a good idea."

"What idea?" I asked.

Heather gestured for me to sit. I took a seat slowly looking around. "What if the bullies got him?"

Heather shook her head. "They might ruff him up, but they wouldn't abduct him or something like that. Just wait and you'll see. You're not a screamer are you?"

I was about to ask what she meant when I felt a chilled hand touch my neck. I've grown up with a pesky brother who thinks it's cleaver to scare his sister. After sixteen years of him throwing plastic bugs, hiding whoopee cushions, and jumping out of dark corners I had learned to defend myself. I quickly elbowed whoever was behind me without thinking. This was normally a punishment for Logan for sneaking up on me, and when I heard a different voice cough and then someone fall to the ground I had to look.

Jon was laying here holding his stomach. His face was hidden by his arms. I could hear Heather laughing from across the table. I was red in the face with embarrassment.

"Oh my god, Jon I didn't know it was you!" I got to the ground making sure I hadn't killed him. I was so used to hitting Logan. Someone like Jon was so tiny that I might have broken him with out meaning to. What as I going to tell Dad? 'Sorry dad I broke the next-door neighbor, hope you don't mind.'

Jon was taking some deep breaths, good I didn't kill him. But he looked up at me, his eyes looked in shock.

"So you're a fighter." Heather muttered. I didn't catch anything else she said because I was too focused on the broken boy.

"Jon how many fingers am I holding up?" I said holding up two.

"Two." He said taking a few more breaths. "I don't have a head injury, you just knocked the wind out of me."

We got him back up to the table, Heather hadn't bothered with helping him. Jon picked up a burger and took a large bite out of it. "Thanks for ruining it."

Heather shrugged. "It was a lame attempt anyway."

"What were you trying to do?" I asked.

Jon rolled his eyes, and Heather answered for him. "He likes to scare people."

"Like pulling pranks?"

"That and just scaring people. He's been like that since we were kids."

Jon chucked. "First time I met Heather I was showing the girls in our grade this corn snake I found. Man they screamed, but Heather, well I knew we were going to be friends when she didn't scream and asked for it's name."

Heather grinned. "Still have that stupid snake." She said puffing out her chest with pride. Laughing I continued eating while the two of them recounted their tales of childish pranks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Okay, I'm still working out when I should post all of this. I'm not sure if an every week to every few days would be best. But do know the updates will be quick for this thing. Thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again I don't own DC or Batman. I'm not making any money off of this. Thanks for reading.

Chapter 4

Heather said she had to go home and get ready for something she was doing that night and Jon and I still had dinner with Dad. We made our way to the small restaurant in a different air then we had been before Heather showed up. Jon was free to talk about what he felt and thought about.

"So, you're brother is kinda addicted to the computer." Jon said as we reached the restaurant. I could already hear the mariachi band, or at least a CD of one was playing.

"He misses his friends. Dad thought it would be a bright idea to drag us away from the people we knew to come out here and greave."

"Greave?"

I nodded. "My Mom passed away a few weeks ago."

Jon stopped in his tracks. "I'm sorry."

I stopped as well shrugging. "Look, I'm not much for wanting to talk about this. You've lost your parents, so you understand."

"I never got to know my parents." He said starting to move. "Mom died during childbirth and Dad, well I have a feeling he never knew about me. But Mom had insisted I have his last name. Maybe hoping I wouldn't turn out like the rest of the family." He shrugged. "I'll never know."

I reached out and took his hand giving it a light squeeze. "That sucks. I mean it. And from what I can tell, your 'grandmother' isn't all that cool to be with."

"Understatement of the century."

"Century is still young!" I said nudging him with my shoulder.

Outside I could see Logan and Dad. I quickly pulled my hand away from Jon's as they saw us. Logan gave me a cool wave while Dad was looking similar to a school boy.

"So how was your day?" Dad asked.

"Good, got to meet a friend of Jonathan's." I said. Logan looked up interested, I could see the question forming in my brother's head 'is it a she? And was she hot?'

I dodged his look as we got a table. The inside of the restaurant was bright, I mean toxic yellow, greens and blues were painted on everything. There were flags hanging from the ceiling and I could smell the spice in the air. On the whole, what I expected from this restaurant.

We took our seats, I was glad Betty wasn't joining us. I was worried what she would do since Jon was here anyway. She didn't seem to have too high of an opinion of him.

The waitress walked up to ask to order drinks. We went around in a circle, you know dad getting a beer… a cheap beer. Logan ordered a Coke, I got a water. Then the funniest thing happened.

Jon looked up at the waiter and said "sweet tea." Now okay I get it, He's lived in Georgia all his life, him ordering sweet tea isn't funny, it was the way he said it. Up until now Jon had the plainest northern accent I could think of, then he busts out with "sweet tea" more sounding like Sweaht Tay.

I couldn't help myself I laughed so hard. The waitress excused herself as I continued to laugh. "My god Jon. That was the most southern thing you've said since I've met you!"

Jon looked petrified as I continued to snicker. Logan and Dad shrugged like it was no big deal. It really wasn't, but to hear Jon's true accent was like taking a breath of clear air.

"Don't worry about it." I said as the waitress sat down our drinks. I took a sip of water. "It's nice to know you aren't perfect."

Jon let out a deep chuckle with that. "Definitely not perfect."

We got halfway through dinner when Logan popped up over his enchiladas. "So Lynn, we got invited to a party tonight."

Dad looked up from his dinner. "Who's hosting it?"

"Just some of the kids in town. You know listen to some music and hang out." He said making it sound innocent. I knew what he was really hoping for. Hot chicks in american flag bikinis. But Dad nodded.

"That will be great. I'll drop Jon back off at his house and take you guys to the party."

I could see Jon become prickly again. I leaned closer and whispered. "What's wrong?"

"Those kids who picked on me at the church will be there." He said quietly. "Be careful, I think Heather's going, so just stay by her. You don't seem the type to like parties."

I shrugged. I'd been to parties. Okay, I've been to a pool party that was actually as birthday party, but how different could a normal party be? There'll be people listening to music and talking. If I was lucky the would skip out on the dancing.

 

 

After dinner we did what dad said he would. Jon had gone back into his shell after Logan had mentioned the party. I didn't press him. I mean I was going into the wolves den right? But I knew Logan wouldn't get to go if I didn't go with him. So I prepared myself for the worst, I didn't prepare enough.

As dad drove up to where the party was being held I noticed something. One, we weren't going to a house, it was a field. Two there wasn't a place for music, just ten trucks all pulled around.

Dad parked the car far enough away and turned to us. He looked serious as he spoke. "Okay, I remember how these parties were, so, be good, don't drink anything you didn't get yourself, especially you Lynn, and if you need me call me no matter what I'll pick you up."

I got out of the car feeling a little panicked. I thought about all the parties my friends told me about in Gotham. Kate told me guys liked to drug girls during parties, hence getting my own drinks. I didn't think anyone would want me, I mean I wasn't one of those skinny girls in the american bikini's that Logan was gunning for. So what was I going to do at the party?

As we got closer to the trucks I could hear the music. It was the local country music station… no DJ, no special mix for the party, just radio. I had to make the best out of the situation so I took a quick scan and saw Heather sitting on a truck bed. I made a beeline for her.

"Heather!" I said waving.

Heather grinned. She had put on more makeup and a lower cut top. "LYNN!" she shouted. "So you left Jonathan for the losers of Hamlet Georgia."

"If these are the losers then why are you here?" I said sitting on the tailgate with her.

Heather leaned in smiling. "Well I like to watch them make piss poor choices." she reached behind her and grabbed a bottle with a long neck. "Beer?"

I looked around. Logan was already the center of another group and beer in hand. "Sure?"

She popped the top and handed it to me. "So all honesty, what do you think of Jonny?"

I took a sip of the beer it was heavy on the carbonation and tasted more like grassy water than real alcohol. I took a moment to swallow it. "He's interesting."

Heather laughed taking a swig of her beer. she didn't seem affected by the lacking taste like I was. "He's got his shit. You stay away from his grandmother, that bitch is more twisted than Himmler."

"You mean Hitler."

"No Himmler." Heather said shooting me a glance. "Sure Hitler was off his rocker, but Himmler was the one to make sure all the crazy shit worked. And that woman is just as bad. Thinking she's doing gods work, pft."

I didn't dare take another drink, I wasn't prepared for another assault on my taste buds. Lucky Heather liked talking. She just continued on the conversation.

"You take care around that house. There's some strange shit that goes on."

The speakers of the music truck was boosted higher. Some of the large boys was stacking up some firewood. It looked like we were going to have a campfire. I started to wonder if I should have bought marshmallows.

I took a sip of beer, the taste was getting better, but I still couldn't understand why someone would willingly want to drink this. It had little taste and I doubt it had a small amount of calories.

I was about to look at the bottle's label when I heard a group of boys start to make a loud fuss over something. I looked over at boys where getting into a large brawl. I looked over at Heather, she seemed disinterested in what was happening.

"Aren't you worried the cops will show up?"

Heather smirked a little impish grin. "Please. Everyone in town knows about these parties. The adults used to have them when they were our age and now we get to have them. And when these delightful people have babies those kids will have parties here as well. Only they'll have rocket cars." she said adding a wink.

That's when something caught me. "When these people have kids? You aren't thinking about having kids?"

Heather shook her head her red hair covering her face for a moment. "No! I don't plan being here for that long. Once I'm eighteen I'm ditching this place. Maybe I'll move to New York, or Gotham." she said leaning back. "Somewhere where people like myself and Jon are normal."

I nodded. It had to be hard when you were a liberal thinker in a strict town. I almost wondered how Jon handled dealing with his Grandmother. From how Heather and him spoke it didn't sound like a great place for anyone who had dreams of being something more than what they were.

Heather and I became silent again. I was getting bored. I mean at least parties in Gotham had my friends. I wasn't a social butterfly like Logan was, and he was looking like he was having a great time. He had downed two bottles of beer and was flirting up a storm with a group of blonds telling them tall tales about Gotham.

Heather let out a large yawn. "You want to blow this place?" She asked.

She must have read my minds. "Please." I said.

She got us into the cab of her car. Starting up the car I felt a rush of cool air hit me. Again I didn't understand why they had to have a party outside. Heather tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Maybe you should just take me home. I'm really not a party girl." I said leaning into the seat.

Heather shrugged. "You're choice." she got her car into gear and started to drive. "So, Lynn, I didn't get to ask you. Are you dating anyone?"

I think I started blushing. Thoughts of David rushed into my head. I hadn't gotten a phone call from him yet. I had a feeling he had forgotten about me. And maybe I could live with that. It was only summer, and I didn't think I could do a long distance thing anyway.

"I have a guy I liked in Gotham. But I don't think anything is going to happen with that."

Heather didn't respond for a long minute. "Well, you never know what happens. YOu might find someone else."

I didn't know what she was getting at, well I knew I just didn't want to believe it. Me find someone other than David? No, I couldn't do that. I had to be madly in love with him because he was perfect. Right?

We got to my driveway, I noticed with a bit of amusement that the sun was just now going down. Figures I would leave a party before anything cool happened. Heather paused keeping the engine running. Her face had become serious.

"Look, I should warn you about something." She said turning to me. "Be wary of the Keeny place. There's something out there…"

She looked out at the swaying fields of grass. I could barely see the scarecrow's hat from where I was. The fields bristled in the light wind sending a chill through my spine. My mind went back to my open window.

"Is it harmful." I asked, my voice sounding hollow in my throat.

Heather shrugged. "Might be. I've heard it… I used to sneak over to Jon's place at night to talk, then I heard it out in the grass."

"Did it hurt you?"

"No. But I know it's watching me, me and anyone who gets close to that place. I think it's cursed." She reached out and gripped my hand. "Be careful out there, okay? I know Jon's safe, but I get worried about anyone else. And I really like you Lynn."

"We just met." I said blinking.

"That's how I roll. Now get your butt inside. I'll see you around."

I didn't know what to say. I gave her a smile and I slid out of the car seat and onto the gravel road. Heather leaned over so I could see her. "Sleep tight!"

I watched her car back out of the driveway and down the road the air had a cool chill to it making my skin goosebump. I shivered and turned back to Betty's, Dad was opening the screen door and I waved.

"Didn't like the party?" He asked as I walked up to him.

"Not much of a country music girl. I'm going to go read upstairs."

Getting to my bedroom I exhaled as I saw that my window was still closed. So the grass had some kind of monster in it. Well maybe a monster, who really knew. But Heather didn't seem the type to be scared of much without a reason.

I picked up my mother's book and opened the window. Slipping out I used the light of my room to read. The book was slow going at first. But I told myself I was going to make it through the next few pages. So straining my eyes I focused on each word. I was so focused that I didn't understand that there was noise farther away from me. But the noise grew louder and louder… it sounded like someone was screaming.

I looked up and out over the fields to see if I could see what was making the noise. Out in the pitch blackness I couldn't make out any shapes. The scream came again making me jump. I scurried back into the bedroom and shut the window my breath becoming heavy. What if the monster Heather told me about had someone. What if it had Jon?

I raced down the stairs and down to the living room where Betty was crocheting something that looked like a blanket, or It could have been a sweater… I didn't want to ask. She looked up at me with large eyes.

"Lynn, I don't think that's how a lady walks, do you?" she said in an unhappy tone. I didn't care I was still scared stiff about what was outside.

"There's someone screaming out there?" I said pointing to the window.

Dad entered from the kitchen. "Who's screaming?"

"Someone I can hear them outside."

Betty didn't move she just sat there shaking her head. Her hands ever moving on the sweater blanket thing. "Now now, I don't think anyone is outside."

"But it sounds like someone's in pain." I said starting to move to the door.

Betty made a loud huffing sound putting her work down. "You city kids don't know the sound of a goat?"

I paused my hand inches from the door. Goats. I looked back at Betty who was looking all puffed up with pride.

"The Keeny's keep goats. Goats sound a lot like humans screaming. It's nothing you need to worry your little head on." Betty picked up her crochet and looked at her stitches. "Oh now look at what you made me do." she said lifting her… project. "You made me lose place in my chart."

Dad let out a sigh of relief. "It's alright, you'll get used to this place. I mean when I first got to Gotham I had to ignore the cars driving by my apartment."

"At least cars don't sound like someone getting beaten." I muttered. But dad was right, of course he was. He'd lived in this house, he would know what a goat sounded like. So I had not choice but to believe him.

"How about you get some beauty rest." betty said her voice becoming perky again. "I bet your brother will be home soon. Tomorrow you can help me out in the garden pulling weeds."

'oh joy' I thought as I went back to my room. Once I was behind closed doors I opened the window again. I could hear the goats on and off. The sound sent shivers up my spine. Around midnight the cries stopped. I guess the goats finally fell asleep, just like I did moments later.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Anything yet?" I asked. My feet were hurting, Logan was bored and I didn't feel like reading so we had taken on ourselves to find cell signal. So far I had gotten three mosquito bites and a blister on my heel. Logan on the other hand was sweating like a sinner in church… oh god, the local slang was catching up on me. "Please say you have something, I need to hear normal people."

Logan shook his head. "Nothing yet." He looked around. "How hard can this be? I mean we're on Version, should there be service everywhere with them?"

"Service in civilized places." I muttered.

We were walking down a road that might have been a mile and a half from Betty's. There was nothing but trees and fields, a boring background if you asked me. I could hear birds chirping in the air, but other than that there wasn't anything for miles.

"Anything yet?" I asked again.

"Nada." He replied.

We continued down the road when I heard a loud high whistling sound. I turned to look around and I could see flashing lights down the road coming closer to us. I pulled Logan off of the road as three police cars whizzed by. Logan let out a low whistle.

"Damn, where are they going in such a hurry?" He asked.

"Don't know, I'm going to head back home. Maybe Jon will know."

"Do we really have to hang around him? I heard from the other kids that he's a weirdo."

"Really? You stuck up for him."

"Yeah because I didn't want to get into a fight because you got soft on some nerd."

"So Jon's a nerd now?"

"He looks like one? Be honest Lynn, if he went to our school he'd been a nerd. And not one of the cool nerds either, he's be stuck in the library all the time."

"At least he wouldn't get punched. I heard what those kids do to him. They make fun of him and beat him up."

"Well maybe he deserves it." Logan said.

I didn't want to believe it. From what Heather had told me Jon wasn't a saint, heck he liked playing a prank or two one people and those who didn't get him wanted to punish him for being weird.

"You know what. Good luck finding signal." I turned around and marched my way back home. Well I didn't really go home. I went back to that scarecrow. Maybe I'm weird for liking to talk to inanimate objects, but it lets out a bit of stress for myself.

I pushed passed the grass when I heard a voice. I couldn't hear what it was saying but I thought it might have been Jon's voice. Pushing my way through the grass I caught a good look at Jon.

He was looking at the scarecrow, maybe even talking to it. "You know I think he needs to put us on a schedule or something, cause our counseling sessions keep bumping into each other."

Jon pulled away from the scarecrow and gave a small smile. "How about till Noon is my time then till night fall is yours." He said.

"That'll be sad thought. I won't get to bump into you anymore."

Jon's smile faltered. "You couldn't have enjoyed hanging out with me that much. You'd rather hang out with Heather."

"No I like both of you. She's good for a laugh and you make me think. Be proud. You have one person being elevated cognitively by your superior mind."

That got him to laugh. "As long as you never mention my love for tea."

"Sweet tea." I corrected.

He nodded a bit of mirth was in his eyes. "So why are you here? What can the great and powerful Scarecrow tell you?"

I looked up at the scarecrow. "Well I was going to tell him how stupid my brother is. We're in a town and he's choosing popularity over getting to know interesting people. Scratch that, he's choosing sex over getting to know people."

Jon didn't look offended as he walked up to me. I noticed he was still fully covered. How the hell did he not sweat to death out here? But I ignored it as he looked at the scarecrow. "Well I think he'd tell you that you're brother is just being immature and that he'll grow out of it."

It was silly, both of us talking to the scarecrow, but I think silly was what I needed at that time.

"Did you have fun at the party?" He asked.

"Not really. Bad beer and bad music. Heather drove me home though. She was really nice."

"Yeah she does that. She likes to take the odd bird under her wing."

"Well she took in a Crane." I said trying to be playful.

Jon seemed to miss that bit of humor and started to put his shell back up.

"I meant it to be cute. You said she took birds under her wing."

Jon looked like he was fighting something. "Sorry, I'm just used to people making fun of me for any reason."

"Kids can be mean." I said looking down at myself. I was all belly and wobbly legs. Sure I had a nice face, but that's what you tell fat girls so they don't get their feelings hurt.

"Hey," Jon said pulling me out of my inward spiral. "Thanks for being nice to me."

I nudged him with my shoulder. "Not a problem. Friends?" I asked.

"Yeah friends."

I looked around slowly the sound of the sirens were getting close again. "Hey, why do you think the police are freaking out today?"

"Big party yesterday." Jon said shrugging. "Could be anything. I mean the town isn't the cleanest. Kids get busted with drugs. Parents beat their kids. Spouses cheat. You're in a normal town, everyone has secrets."

"Even you?" I asked.

Jon smiled, there was a danger in that smile. "Everyone."

"Well that makes me feel better. I thought something big was happening in town." I looked back at the scarecrow.

"This isn't Gotham, the police get bored all the time and go on searches for marijuana and meth labs. Sometimes they find them."

The sirens weren't going away. I looked back to Betty's house the sound coming closer and closer. What could they want with Betty. Maybe Betty was a meth user, that would be a hoot.

Jon also looked interested. I decided to invite him over. "Come on. lets check it out!" I said my voice needing to be a yell to get my point across.

We reached the front yard as I saw two squad cars parked in the drive. Logan was getting out of the front of one car looking uncomfortable.

"Logan!" I said marching up to him. "What did you do?"

He just shook his head. "They told me to get in the car so I could be taken home. They want to question us about the party."

I remembered what Heather had said about everyone knowing about the party. Could they still test blood for alcohol. Would half a bottle show up on one of those test? I was starting to panic as the sirens died off.

A large officer waddled his way up to me. "Miss Colmen right?" He said. I nodded dumbly. "We need to speak to you and your brother."

"What did we do sir?" I asked. "Before you question us."

"It's not about what you did, it's about what you know." He looked around and saw Jon near the grass. "It's about Heather Turner."

"What happened to Heather?" Jon said moving next to me.

The officer's shoulder lowered as he looked at me, what he said were ones I would never forget. "She's gone missing. Hasn't been since since she left the party last night."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Logan and I were sitting in Betty's kitchen. Betty the hostest with the mostest was prepared with coffee, cookies, and sweet tea for the police. I took my glass of water in my hands turning it. Jon wasn't allowed inside for the questioning. I could see him pacing the porch. He looked like a large cat slinking back and forth. I would see flashes of his eyes locked on me during the questioning.

"When did you leave the party Miss Colmen." The large officer said. I noticed his name tag said his name was Wakes.

"I left before nine. I don't really like parties and Heather offered to drive me home." I said still fiddling with the glass.

Wakes nodded. "Did she go back to that party?" He asked Logan.

Logan was acting cooler that I was. Maybe I was feeling guilty because I might have been the last person to see her. Logan put on his concentrating face that he reserved for teachers. "No… well actually she did show back up for a little while. She wasn't really talking to anyone, just stayed on her truck chilling."

I knew Logan was lying about her drinking. she had already had one beer when I got her to drive me home. She might have continued to drink when she got back to the party.

"Last I saw of her was about midnight. She walked off for a while and I didn't see her coming back."

"She walked off?" I asked. Why would she just walk off? She knew there's something crazy out in the fields.

"Look I didn't talk to her much. I just saw her walk off. Nothing big, I thought she would want to get some alone time since everyone was taking a stab at making fun of Crane."

Crane? When did Logan choose to call him Crane, obviously when he saw his first country girl in a bikini.

"Heather is friends with Mr. Crane?"

I cutted in at that point. "His best friend. He's right outside, maybe he'll know what's going on."

Wakes got another officer to bring Jon in. Jon looked as fidgety as I was. He took a seat next to me.

"You're Heather's friend right?" Wake said flipping a page in his notebook.

"Yes sir." Jon said formally. "Heather and I have been friends since elementary school."

"And has she admitted that she wanted to skip town?"

Jon sucked in his lower lip. "We've always had plans on getting out of town sir. But we were going to wait till we were graduated and in college."

The officer huffed. "Did she have problems at home?"

"Lots. Her parents found out she was a lesbian two months ago and they've been giving her hell since."

That got my interest. Heather wasn't Jon's girlfriend? Just really good friends? It boggled me in that moment, then the boggled ment turned into embarrassment. 'Did I have a boyfriend.' She wasn't asking if I was going after Jon, she was seeing if I was straight or not. I think Jon noticed my blush and nodded at me.

"Heather wanted out of Georgia, we were planning of moving to Gotham after I graduated. Be both turn eighteen over next summer. She was willing to wait the year. I don't understand why she would leave… why she would leave me…"

I placed a hand on Jon's shoulder. This wasn't fair for him at all. He had one light in this stupid town and now she's gone missing. A small flame of anger hit me. Why haven't the police gone to her car. or went looking at the field she walked off into? They knew where she was last, so why didn't they just go?

Wake jotted some things down on his notebook. "Right, well kids, thanks for your help. Try to stay in the county incase we need to talk to you again, especially you Mr. Crane."

Jon, myself, and Logan watched as the police pulled out of the drive. Jon looked like he was a world away his eyes unfocused as he looked out into the field. I know I didn't know him well at the time, but I'm a bleeding heart. If I see someone broken I want to fix them. So I reached out and took his hand.

I never noticed how calloused his hands were. It felt like he's never seen a lotion bottle in all his life. I chose that to be my pet project that summer. Boost Jon's self esteem and help him see that the future can be bright.

 

 

I couldn't sleep well. Maybe the thoughts about Heather kept my mind from slipping off into sleep. I could hear the crows outside my window cawing away. I really wanted to sleep, I did, but I couldn't let my mind stop thinking about how sad Jon looked when he was told his only friend was gone forever.

The birds cawed again and I rolled myself out of bed. Maybe if I yelled at them they would stop making that noise. I stomped my way over the window and threw it open. As I did I noticed something, it was only a split second, but i saw it before I stuck my head out.

Backing away I took a deep breath to scream.

"Don't." The voice said. It was such a low voice, then again the shadowy thing on the other side of the window was ominous looking to have whatever voice it wanted. "Don't scream."

His voice was carried the deepest southern accent I heard since coming here. He didn't move any closer as I stayed planted in the middle of the bedroom.

"Who are you?" I asked.

I could see him, well the outline of him. He was huddled on the roof making it hard for me to see his true form. "I'm called Crow." He said. the soft lulling voice eased my nerves as a inched closer.

"How do I know that you aren't the thing that's out in the fields. Heather told me-"

"What did she tell you?" He cutted in.

I paused searching for words. "She said there was something watching her in the fields."

"I watch, I keep an eye on Jonathan Crane… He's someone of interest to me…" He said. "Heather is missing… Correct?"

"Yes?"

"And I'm wondering where she went. She used to walk through the fields and I watched over her."

This thing watched over her… Part of my lizard brain told me not to get closer, hell didn't I just think that this place was like a horror movie when I first got here?

But the stupid part of me moved closer walking up to the open window. The honeysuckle was delicious and soothed my nerves. "What do you want? Why aren't you coming in."

"I find it rude to walk in on someone's home without being asked."

"Like you're a vampire?" I said.

"No, I'm just being gracious. I do apologize for opening your window a few nights ago."

My stomach twisted. "You opened my window?"

"I wanted you to know that I was there."

"You were there? Really?" I said. I was getting louder and more defencive. "What were you thinking? Couldn't you have left a message if you wanted to talk to me. Hell how do you even know about me?"

"You spoke to Jonny, I like to watch out for him."

I rolled my eyes. "Look Crow, whatever your name is, buzz off. I'm stressed. I was one of the last people who saw Heather alive, like hell I'm going to talk to some random weirdo who creeps outside my window."

I made my way to slamming the door shut when Crow moved closer. I still couldn't see him well, but now I could tell that he was kneeling on the roof.

"Look, be careful out there. This town has some crazy people."

"Like the guy who sits on a girls roof, sorry I'm not a hopeless romantic who'll jump on any creeper who stalks her." With that I slammed the window shut.

Crow didn't move. Hell the guy didn't flinch. He just waited. I motioned him to move along, but he just stayed put. Annoyed and starting to become edgy from not getting sleep I opened the window. "What?"

"If I was here to hurt you, do you think I would have done it when you were sleeping?"

"Unless you're some crazy vampire?"

"Vampires aren't real." He said cooly. " But there are things in things in this town that can hurt you. Trust me."

"I don't know if I can."

Crow bobbed his head. "If you ever need someone to sort things out and Jonny can't be there, leave me a note, or just sit out here. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."

"If I ever think of talking to some creepy not vampire, sure." I closed the window and the curtains blocking him out from my view. And as my Mom would say out of sight out of mind.

I slid back into bed looking at the window. Would he respect the closed window, like he said he would? I waited watching and slowly finally my eyes closed letting me fall into a fitful sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Lynn, David's on the phone!" Dad called. It had been a week since Heather disappeared and less than a week since I first met Crow. I hadn't seen him much since and I had a feeling he was something my mind cooked up with the lack of sleep.

I raced down the steps ignoring Betty's look of disapproval. Plucking the phone from Dad's hands I answered. "David?"

On the other side of the phone I could hear honking of horns, and people chatting, the sound of Gotham was being filtered through the tiny phone and into my ear. It sounded so wonderful.

"Hi, Lynn. I got your message," David said. David has this cute tenor voice that just rings of him being honest and good. "Sorry it took so long to get back. I was hiking in the foothills and didn't get back until today."

I moved up the stairs my breath getting heavier as I got up the second flight. Great he can go hiking for two weeks and I have to take a breather after a flight of stairs. It was just another reminder that he was so out of my league.

"How are you doing. I mean it's been three weeks right?" He said.

I paused. It had been three weeks since mom died. It felt like it had been longer. Since coming to Hamlet I had found that time passed by differently. I didn't even notice Mom wasn't there at times. Maybe that was a good thing.

"I'm holding on. I really miss home."

"Well let me tell you what's been going on." He said.

My heart leaped a little as he started to tell me about how him and his friends had made it through a long trail that took them out in the middle of no where in gotham. And that there was one time they got really close to Arkham Asylum and had to turn around out of fear of some of the crazies seeing them and try to get out. I laughed at that, but it all felt so hollow, like everything I heard didn't matter. I was here in Hamlet where there was a missing girl. A girl that could have been my friend if she lived in Gotham. And now she was missing and I was the only person her best friend had to coupe.

"Hey David." I said cutting him off of another long story, this time about some girls in our class that I barely knew. "I need to head out. But thanks for calling me."

"Call me any time alright?"

I told him I would and hung up. I opened the curtains of my window to see a black feather was tied to the window on the outside. More interesting things were happening here. I wouldn't deny that.

 

 

"Anything yet?" I asked. We were back to looking for cell signal. Logan hand his iphone raised high I was guessing he was praying to the ghost of Steve Jobs or something. Either way he was looking stupid standing on a grassy hill.

"Not yet." He muttered. "How impossible would it be for them to put out a cell tower out here?"

"Very it seems." I said walking up to a tree in the middle of the field. The tree looked tall and had a good amount of shade which I was grateful for. I sat myself down and sighed.

Logan walked around the the field. Grumbling about his yearning for modern technology.

I was getting comfortable, pulling out 'Phantom of the Opera' for another go when Logan started to make a bunch of noise.

"Yes come one little guy I can see you! Come here!"

I looked up to see he was standing by another tree the phone again raised up in the air Logan jumping up and town. My eyes slowly moved away from him to something strange on the other side of his tree.

"Logan." I said getting up. I moved closer to the other side of the tree and suddenly me suspicions were realized. "Logan… does that look like?"

The ground on the other side of the tree had been disturbed. The ground was a perfect rectangle three by nine feet. I could feel lunch make it's way back up my throat. See growing up in a city like Gotham kids learned quick when you came across something weird. Normally it was a mob hit that you came across. Best thing to do there was to inform the police, thought an untraceable source to tell them where the body was and then to get the hell out of town.

Three by nine is the standard size a mortuary would use for a burial plot. And with no tomb stone I doubted it was a planned plot by the township.

"You have cell signal?" I asked.

Logan nodded grimly. "Call 911?"

The police arrived quickly with a group of medical people I assumed were there incase there was a body. From what Logan was told the property was owned by the city and was not to be used for burying anything. Officer Wake was there again to talk to us. He didn't drive us home. It seems he was more than happy to talk to us around the hood of his car.

"So, you were looking for cell signal when you saw the dirt."

Logan who was still playing cool smiled. "Sir, it's not like we dug it. Do you really think my sister could lift a big shovel of dirt?"

Wake gave me a quick look. Was he actually thinking we did this? Sure we're the weird new kids in town, but heck, I wasn't able to dig that much dirt. I'd have a asthma attack before I got a foot deep.

"Right," he said making some notes. "So this was just an accident? You two have been busy around here haven't you."

"I think we've been two outsiders who the police like to think we're doing something." I said the prickle of annoyance was creeping in.

Wake didn't press that matter, I thought I had won my little part of the war, but I heard too hurried footsteps come closer.

"Sir.. we need to get the kids out of here." He said. He was younger, maybe just in his twenties, what I did noticed was how green he looked.

Wake turned to look at the hill, my curiosity got to me and I looked as well. True enough I could see a form coming out of the dirt. God, we were right, someone was buried there. I tried to focus on the figure to see if anything struck me. I noticed it was wearing something black the flowed in the wind. Then I saw it, the red hair.

"No." I said shaking moving away from Logan.

Logan looked back as well his eyes became dinner places. "No way?"

In all my time living in Gotham I've never seen a dead body. With the crime rate being outrageous and with the constant mob wars I was due to see a body sooner or later. I just didn't believe it was the body of someone I knew, and that it wouldn't be in Gotham at all.

Wake let out a low curse and looked at us. "I'm going to have one of my men take you home. Don't tell anyone."

"Her friends should know." I said looking at Wake. "Her best friend should know."

Wake shook his head as the young officer came by. "Fine, but only the Crane boy. Davis take these kids home."

We were put into another cop car and driven back to Betty's place. The whole time I felt numb. Just like I felt when Dad told me to call the phone. I wanted to push the feeling away. I had to push it away. I couldn't break down now. Dad telling me to call 911 and that he couldn't feel mom breathing.

Logan caught on to the look I was giving. He was lucky, he wasn't home when it happened. He was spared as the EMS had rushed into the master bedroom and tried to revive mom… but they didn't, she had already been dead they said.

I had to be the one to call Logan home, Dad was a mess. I had to take care of everyone, make sure the food that we had gotten was managed, I never knew people made so much food for those who were grieving. I managed to keep us together as we figured out what mom would want for her funeral. I knew her favorite flower and I knew what music she loved. I took care of it all, and now I was taking care of this too.

As we pulled up I saw Betty poke her head. Dad was sitting on the porch and was placing his book down when I bolted from the car. I could hear someone yell at me as I dashed into the tall grass right to the scarecrow praying that Jon was there. When I got to the small clearing I could hear Betty calling out for me. I ignored her as I got up the courage to cross into the other side of the thick grass.

I had to take care of him. I always took care of people, and I was the only one who could talk to Jon about this. So gathering up all my courage I bolted through the grass.

I was blinded by the grass at first, then my sighted opened up to the most haunted farm I'd ever seen.

The farm looked to be a cut out of some horror movie. The paint on the buildings were chipped and flaking off. The roofs were rusted tin that I doubted the structural integrity. Around the yard there were dead things everywhere. This wasn't like Betty's yard where things were manicured to perfection. No, this was a place where life was not allowed to be. No wonder Jon acted so weird.

I noticed the large chapel that was tucked away in the corner of the lot. It's paint stripped steeple pierced the blue sky a black crow perched above cawing it's little lungs out.

Moving closer to the large farm house I started to wonder how smart of an idea this was. Should I go and wait for Jon at the Scarecrow and hope he shows up? Or maybe just call him on the phone?

My fear was starting to edge in when I heard a door slam, or maybe a car backfiring. From the front of the farm house a woman walked out. This woman was everything I ever imagined as a woman who would strike fear into a young boy. She was a thin, model thin, the kind that has too much pride in their thin form. Her face was pulled tight with what I imagined to be a facelift. She had a ridiculously big black hat and a modest black dress on. She marched herself out of the house with a grace that did not belong to a great grandmother.

"Who the devil are you?" She shouted. Her voice was a shrill southern accent that carried a venom of hatred.

"I'm Lynn, I'm living next door."

"The whore who's been stealing the little monster away correct?" she promptly placed her long thin hands on her hips.

"I've been seeing Jonathan, yes." I said my voice becoming a little stronger. How could she call her own flesh and blood a monster? I chose to ground my feet as she rounded on me.

"Oh yes, he's spoken about you. You the heathen from the north. You're trespassing. I have signs that say I'll prosecute."

"I'm sorry. I just need to tell Jon somethin."

That's when I saw him. He was in the doorway of the house. I might have missed him if it wasn't for the sun shining off of his glasses. He looked almost horrified as he looked at me. So I might have done something really stupid, okay I got it.

"You can tell him some other time. He's busy."

"Heather's body's been found." I said blurting it out. I didn't want it to wait and him find out days after a funeral or anything like that.

From the doorway I didn't see a change, then his hand shaking took the doorframe. I wished I had told him differently, but with the devil grandma in front of me I didn't want to try.

"Logan and I found the grave. She was buried two miles from here. I just watched them pull her from the ground. Jon, I'm so sorry."

Tears were forming again. Why did I use the 'so sorry' I hated so sorry's they were the bread and butter of what people said when someone dies. But I said them, and I meant them, how can you say anything else at this moment. The first few seconds are so painful. Knowing you'll never be with that person again. Hell he had planned on going to the North with her to get away from this town. What else is there to say but 'I'm so sorry?'

Jon was a stature. His grandmother rounded her head back to look at him. "Devil! Get back to your chores or I'll have you praying to the lord god for your disobedience."

He stayed still I saw his mouth moving. I think he was saying 'scarecrow, tomorrow' Then he slipped into the darkness of the house.

"Heathen, leave this place now, or I'll call the police on you!" The old woman yelled.

I backed away knowing I was more than out matched. So I slowly made my way back home when a thought pushed through. There weren't any animals on the farm… not even goats.

I didn't turn to look back. If I did then that woman would know I was onto something. If there weren't any goats here, then that means someone was getting hurt enough to cry out. And the only person who would sound like that would be… Jon.

 

 

I couldn't eat much that night. None of my normal self soothing helped. I just paced back and forth in my bedroom thinking. Should I leave a note for Crow? Was Crow even a real thing? The more I thought about him the more I tried to convince myself that he wasn't real.

I opened the window right after sundown. Not even five minutes with it open I started to hear the yelling again. My stomach felt sick. I couldn't go out there and save him from whatever punishment he was going through. I didn't have the strength. Hell I didn't think I could go back on that property with knowing what she was doing to him.

So I sat on my roof hoping Crow would show up. I was hoping he would show and yet, I really hoped I had been dreaming.

There was a knock on my door. "Come in?" I said poking my head back out of the window.

Logan wandered in looking frazzled. I pulled myself from the window and gave him a once over. He looked like crap. His eyes were dark and his skin paler than our normal Irish heritage allowed.

"What's wrong?" I asked getting closer.

"Can we just, talk? I'm not able to sleep… I keep hearing the phone ring."

The phone. He didn't need to tell me what phone. Because he was at his friends house when mom died he had been the most removed from the situation. I closed my window and had him sit on the window seat. I could still hear the yells, but I did my best to push that situation out of the way.

"I just, I feel like such an idiot. Going to my friends house? What was I thinking?" He said a bit of a shiver running through him. "I didn't even say goodbye, or goodnight to her."

I nodded letting him speak. "She still loved you."

"So? What kind of a son was I? I was running around with the rest of my friends getting into trouble. At least you stayed at home with her. I just thought."

Logan had thought he would have more time. We all think we have more time. I put an arm around him resting his head on my shoulder.

"We'll be okay."

"Who loses a parent at our age?" He said, I could hear his words choke out of him as he spoke.

"It's a badge that we have to carry. It's not one of honor, but it's of respect. No one can say we haven't had a hard time."

"Then Dad sends us out here. No where, with nothing but a weird next door neighbor who has a crush on you and a murderer on the loose."

"Sounds like Gotham."

"Nix the weird next door neighbor." Logan said.

"Jon doesn't have a crush on me." I said trying to clean up at least that false statement.

"Sure he does. You hang around him enough."

"I'm helping him grieve the loss of his best friend."

"He should help you grieve for mom." Logan sad. His voice became quiet. "You haven't cried. You just became one large stone faced statue who got things done. I don't think I've seen you smile."

I'd smiled. Sure I wasn't joking around like I used to, but I laughed. I was corjil with people. Hell Jon and I became friends… well he's just as emotionally stifled as I was, so maybe that wasn't the best choice of people to compare to.

It was true, I hadn't cried. I didn't think I could. There was just a large numb whole in my chest that wouldn't let me. Why should I cry when I have a life to live. I know it's stupid and someone is going to tell me it is, but I just didn't want to open that gate up. I feared that once I did I would never be the same girl.

"You know what I miss." I said finally. "The way mom would wear that ugly pink robe around the house."

Logan's face carried a small smile. "God that thing was ugly. It looked like she skinned a muppet. You know what I miss? I miss the midnight runs to the store and picking up snack food just for the hell of it."

"God chocolate covered popcorn from Ruddy's." I sighed. "She loved those."

"Those and strawberry soda. Who likes strawberry soda?"

"Mom did."

We became quiet the sounds of screaming were dying down. Maybe his grandmother stopped whatever torture she had planned. Logan pulled away putting on his tough guy appearance again.

"I'll see you in the morning. Maybe Crane can come over."

"Maybe, if you'll play nice."

Logan shrugged. "He's weird but he likes you, so I should let that count for something."

When he was gone I felt ten times more removed from everyone. Picking up a notebook I scrawled out a message. It said:

Crow. You want me to trust you? Then help me keep Jon safe. He needs a friend right now and I can't watch him when he's at his grandmother's house. Contact me soon.

Lynn

I slid the paper under the window and wedged it so it wouldn't get blown away. Then settling into bed I just watched the small paper flicker in the night time breeze. Maybe Crow would get it… maybe I had imagined him. I was starting to hope that I hadn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter speaks a lot to me. See when I was 21 I lost my mother, it's taken me four years to sort out my emotions and working on this story helped. If anyone has lost a parental figure you know it hits you at the strangest times. So, keep soldiering on, you're not alone.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

I spent the whole morning outside. I had taken some snack food and set out a small camp around the scarecrow waiting for Jon. I entertained myself by weaving the tall grass stalks into mats that I sat down for sitting areas and for the food I brought. I had completed three mats when I heard a rustling through the grass.

Jon appeared. To say he looked nice to be a lie. He looked like hell. His arms were bigger and I noticed there were bandages on his hands. He stumbled forward trying to be more graceful. He was failing at that too.

"What did she do to you?" I said moving over to him. I helped him down on the ground.

"Nothing. She told me to clean out a nest of crows. I got careless."

He was lying. But in his state I didn't feel like pressuring him. Instead and offered him an apple. His long hands wrapped around it, those calloused hands touching mine again.

"Have you ever used lotion?" I asked.

He looked at me confused. "No?"

I rummaged through the bag I brought and pulled out a bottle of lotion. "Hands, let me see them."

He put the apple in his lap and put his hands out. I put a dime size amount in my hands and started to rub it into his skin. He was looking at what I was doing with the same amount of interest a science major would look at a delicate experiment. Trepidation and wonderment at the same time.

I pulled away smiling. "How do they feel."

"Like I'm sweating."

"Let it soak in. Once your skin gets the nourishment it needs it should repair itself."

"Repaire?" He looked at his hands. "Like getting rid of the calluses?"

The words that Logan said last night came back. Jon might have a crush on me. I looked up into his eyes. Those eyes that matched the georgia sky, and I wondered. Would it be such a bad thing to have a guy here in the south.

The small voice in my head scoffed 'of course it would! You can't even keep in contact with David, how would you stay in contact with Jon. He doesn't have internet, and his grandmother would have a cow then actually kill him.' For me that was all I needed. I just gave a polite smile and pulled out another apple. "I'm sorry."

Jon nodded the mood between us becoming more solom. "You know what I'm going through. You lost a parent, I've lost my friend. For me it's close enough."

I leaned in putting an arm around him. I never noticed how small he was, I mean he was still well over six feet in height, but under all that baggy clothing I could feel nothing but bone. I held back any noise I was about to let go of. He didn't need confusing, I didn't need confusing. I knew I liked his company, that was all.

Jon pulled me closer and started to do the one thing I hadn't. He cried. No one looks good when they cry. That's just a fact. You're eyes are puffy, snot starts to flow down your nose. I've seen so much crying this summer that I knew how ugly it could get.

He looked up at me, he of course is an outlier. His eyes were brighter, full of emotion. I knew it was grief, but it was still more emotion than I had ever seen from him.

I pulled him back into a hug. My hands started to pet his hair slowly. "Go on, let it all out." I said quietly.

He didn't speak. It wasn't like Logan who threw all his insecurities out on the floor. No Jon was more like me. He'll cry, but he'll never let anyone inside long enough to know if the tears were the only thing needed. He needed the time to think it through. He needed to be strong so he can find the killer.

He stayed like that for a long moment then pulling away he rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to find that bastard."

I kept my hand on his back. "I know,"

"I'm going to do everything in my power to stop him for good." He then looked at me. "We need her autopsy report."

"Won't there be pictures in that?" I said not wanting to see a dead body again. Jon also paused at that. He probably didn't remember that they put pictures of dead bodies in those things. I wasn't sure about him, but I didn't want to see a cut open human body, especially a body that used to be someone I knew.

Jon shook his head. "I need to know how she died. The newspaper didn't say anything, I think they're a load of bullshit. Her family isn't giving an open casket funeral."

"Do you know how they're handling it?"

"I hope they feel guilty. She would have never have been at that party, she would have been home with her siblings like she used to be before she came out to them. She should be home right now looking at apartments in Gotham."

"But you guys weren't going to live in Gotham till next year."

"Some people need any hope they can get," He said looking up at her, "Right now my hope is to get that file."

I looked up at the large sky. In Gotham I never paid much attention to the sky, Most of the time I just ignored it and kept my mind on the streets. But the large sky was so wide and deep that I felt like it would swallow me whole. How were we going to get that file? I wasn't a mastermind at sneaking into places, and I doubted Jon was.

"The file would be at the sheriff's place. He's totally prehistoric keeping things in normal filing cabinets."

"You're joking?"

"No money for a new computer system." Jon said taking a small bite from the apple. "And who's going to sneak into the police department?"

No one. Not in a town like this. If it was Gotham well, I think I shouldn't bring a real city into this, it's unfair for Hamlet and their small police force. They probably had maybe two maybe three cops here? It's not like they're prepared for this.

 

Our plan was hatched for the day of Heather's funeral. We would go in, give our respects then make a beeline for the police station. I had packed one 'nice' dress, and it was more of a summery dress in a light blue, not the customary black that everyone was wearing.

Jon had on a suit. It was ill fitted, but I could see the makings of something in that cheap suit. He didn't show any nervous behavior. Lucky, I on the other hand was an emotional wreck. I had gone to mom's funeral in a haze. I don't remember much of it now. Just a lot of people crying and my mom's friends talking about her.

Heather's funeral was being held at a church, go figure. There was a swarm of kids outside talking. This might have been the first time these kids had to wear black. Sucks to be them. I thought bitterly.

As we entered Jon and I had to talk to the family. I suddenly knew where Heather got her lack of height from, both her parents. Jon and I looked like giants walking up to them. Okay Jon looked more like a tolkien elf and I looked like and orc of some kind, semantics.

Heather's mother was a bigger woman, whose make up was long gone from crying. No one told her to look for waterproof mascara today, ah well. She grabbed onto Jon's hand her tears starting again.

"Oh Jonathan, you came!" She said sniffling.

Jon's face was cold. I mean the woman's lost her daughter Jon, give her a break? "I had to Mrs. Turner." I could hear that cold rage burning under his very patient tone. At least he wasn't going for her throat first thing.

But that's when the woman did something I didn't expect Jon to see. She pulled him down into a sobbing, sniveling hug.

"You were her best friend. She always threatened to run off with you to Gotham!"

Her voice carried through the church, making many of the mourners to turn and watch the spectacle. I only wished I had a camera. Heather would have loved to see this. Jon in his awkward glory getting forcefully hugged by her mother.

Heather's Mom pulled Jon away. "You'll be fine. You were the one with a plan. I just wish she knew how much her father and I are sorry about what we said… It's just not… not."

Her husband pulled his wife into a close embrace letting Jon to back away and move back to me. He looked at me bewildered. In a hushed voice he spoke. " I thought it would feel good… seeing them in pain." He looked back at the family. " I was hoping to get some vengeful words in… but… how do you look at them, a family who actually let me come over for dinners, who didn't think twice about my clothing and let me go to movies. I thought when they told Heather that she was a sinner that they had lost all the goodness in them… I… I was wrong." I watched him as he took my hand. "I'm going to make this right."

"How can you make it right?" I said quietly.

"I'm not sure… I'm going to show them that their faith in me isn't misplaced. She said I'm the one with the plan."

"Then we better get our plan in motion." I said pulling him away from the church.

"Let me say goodbye…" He said quietly. "Just give me a minute."

I walked up to the entrance and watched him slowly make his way to the coffin. It was a simple black coffin, inside would have whatever was left of Heather. If we succeeded we would know what was in there. I just prayed she was in one piece.

I could see Jon say something. His voice was too soft to make out, but there were to differing expressions. First there was the reverent look of someone who's saying goodbye, then this smile cracked onto his face. I jumped looking at him in that moment. Where did he have it in him to smile like that? I blinked and watched my hands shaking. His smiled dropped and he placed a hand on the lid. Nodding he turned and his blue eyes locked onto mine. We had a job to do.

 

 

The police office was comical in size. When I was in second grade my class took a tour of GCPD and we even got to meet some of the officers. The place had been so huge, I often wondered how they fit all the criminals inside, that's the day I knew they could never take care of all the criminal activity in the city. But what are you going to do?

The Hamlet police department had a cozy feel to it. Three desks only two of them looked to be in use, a bunch of filing cabinets, and if I squinted really hard I could see down a hallway a small jail.

At one desk sat Officer Wake. I gave him a quick smile as we walked in. Great… so what was the plan Jon?

"Sir." Jon said walking up to Wake. "Has there been any news?"

Wake looked up from his computer with a look that spelled out that that would be a negative, but Jon kept pushing. I stood with him looking at the metal cabinet. How the hell was I going to deal wit that? Then it hit me.

"Umm Officer. Can I use the restroom. The church's line was a monster and I drink like four cups of water before leaving the house. I know stupid," I started to rant about my bladder. There was something I picked up from watching people. If an embarrassing topic is mentioned then people will best try to avoid it being discussed.

"It's behind me in the back" He said cutting off my speech.

I bobbed my head and ran to the bathroom door. On my way there I grabbed one of the metal filing cabinet doors the one at the top and pulled it ajar then I opened the door to the bathroom closed while I stayed by the cabinets. I thumbed through them. Looking at names. There wasn't much. You had your normal reports on traffic violations and a drug charges… but I couldn't find her autopsy anywhere.

I looked up to see that Jon was doing his best at keeping Wake busy with nonsense questioning. Was the FBI getting involved, What was she wearing? Did she have 'such and such on her, because she would never be without such and such.'? He was good at the fast talking.

I slowly gave him a shake of my head as I closed the cabinet, then I slowly opened the bathroom door and entered. I flushed the toilet and ran the water in the sink. Then opening the door with a great to do I marched out saying thanks. Once I got out to the muggy heat I knelt down next to the door trying to get a deep breath. No it wasn't close, but it was the most illegal thing I'd done, we aren't counting the time I accidentally stole a pen from the grocery store. At least I brought it back… crying.

Jon exited a moment later hands in his pockets. His intense stare was back at the church. "They're thinking of calling the FBI."

I got up adjusting my dress. "What?"

"There's something about her death that doesn't look like a normal killing."

A normal killing? What other kind of killing was there?

Jon scratched the back of his head and looked at me. "Thanks for trying."

I didn't feel like we had tried at all. But seeing Jon's determination dim I knew that it was time we called it in for the day. Maybe if we were lucky the funeral would still be going on and I could get this boy another hug.

"Let just go home…" He finally said. I took his hand giving it a small squeeze.

"We'll find a way."

 

I tried to sleep that night. I tossed and turned trying to get comfortable on the bed. I think there was a spring in the mattress that had a vendetta for me. I wiggled and moved trying to get comfortable. I failed.

I was about to drag everything off the bed and sleep on the floor when I heard a light tapping on my window. No… He's not real.

The tapping was a little louder now making me groan. I had been keeping my curtains drawn in case Crow ever came back and wanted to be like a sappy paranormal romance hero. I was still pretty convinced he was either a figment of my imagination or a vampire.

I got out of bed and slipped on my pink slippers. Pulling the curtains aside I could see the outline of him from where he was kneeling on the roof. I opened the window and paused.

"Crow." I said quietly.

He didn't move, I could feel his eyes looking at me. I didn't know what I should do about that. On a normal day with normal people I would be creeped out. With a Thing, well creep didn't even touch the surface.

"I found something you might like." He muttered in his sweet but low southern voice. It sent little shivers up my spine. Okay so this is why people like the idea of southern plantation owners, I get it.

"Look, I know that message I left was kinda mixed signal based… I mean… what am I to think? You're a thing that's on my roof."

"I could come in if you asked me to."

"No!" I said quickly. "I like this bit of distance between us. Thank you."

Crow shook his head. "I have something to give you and I'll need to be closer to do so."

He had to be closer. I didn't like the sound of that. I was already creeped by him. What had I been thinking writing that letter? Asking for Crows help? What if I was asking a psychopath for help? What if Crow was the killer?

I took a deep breath and cooled off. He had come back, he didn't leave me, he came with something this time. What would it hurt? "You can come in for tonight. Alright? But only for tonight, if you happen on this roof again you'll have to ask again."

He nodded. "I would expect nothing less."

I backed away from the window as the dark figure slid into the room with the grace of a cat. He wasn't much to look at, much of his form was hidden under a bulky robe like thing he was wearing. His face blocked off by a large hood. What does this thing have to hide?

He didn't move around much, which I was thankful for. But his presence made me shiver. "What do you have for me?"

He handed me an envelope from the inside of his robe. It was a simple envelop nothing unusual about it, other than a creepy guy was the one to give it to me. I reached out and took it slowly, out hands made contact and I felt an electrical force in that touch. Pulling away quickly I held onto the envelope my knees shaking.

I'm not the girl who reads romances. Jane Austen bores me to tears, but I've heard about that electrical touch… it was from Silence of the Lambs. Hannibal Lecter's fingers grazing Clarice Starling's, it's a sensual moment, but not one I wanted to ever have. So I just watched Crow, who watched me for what felt like forever.

Then he spoke. It was soft in that lulling accent. "Are you going to look at what I brought?"

My hands decided this would be the time they would derp. I dropped the envelope twice my body shaking. Once I got it open I noticed what the front looked like… how did he?

"These are the police reports."

"All of them, only photo copies."

"But Jonathan and I couldn't get to them. How did you?" I looked up noticing he was right next to me. To my credit I didn't jump.

"The police don't keep as good of a watch at night. I called the police to another location saying there was someone dealing in drugs, they sped out and I had a good thirty minutes alone in the office." He said.

I noticed now how tall he was. Maybe a good five inches taller than myself. I looked up at the black void of a face and nodded. "Thanks… Jonathan will need to know where I got them."

"Don't." Crow said. "He doesn't know I watch out for him."

"Why do you?"

There was a long pause on that. Crow turned back to my window. "I need to go. Just don't tell Jonny I'm there… It's our little secret." Then he ducked out of the window. I ran over to see where he went… but he was gone. Just like the black bird he called himself, he was gone.

I reopened the report this time looking at it. My eyes focused on the pictures. It was Heather… but something was wrong. I needed to get this to Jonathan tomorrow. He might know what's different. Having to keep Crow a secret would be weird… but I could manage something. Maybe said I went back and did what Crow did.

Farther away I heard a crow caw. It didn't annoy me in that moment. I relaxed knowing I had someone looking out for Jonathan and myself. Even if he was some mysterious creeper, he was my guardian. My Crow.


End file.
